Lisbon Day One

At the airport for 4.30 (am!), and straight through, no hassles, apart from being asked to take my shoes off at security. We checked about JR's Very Important Wee Rubber Stamp, but no - it's only Ryanair who insist on this. In fact, EasyJet was altogether a more pleasant experience than Mr O'Leary's outfit.

Bit of a hassle with access to the apartment, as there wasn’t anyone to meet us, as arranged. The girl who eventually came (an hour later) was clueless. She claimed it was her first day and she knew nothing - how to get in the main door, or even which flat it was (it's a Five Star development, but the individual apartments are managed by different companies). In fact, she dragged us up several flights of steep stairs (JR KNEW she hadn’t booked that!), then took us back down again and found the lift. She then tried to break into two different apartments only for JR to suggest that it might be 2B and not 2D... it was. They have a very sophisticated keyless entry/locking systems which caused her problems, but JR eventually figured it out. Still, it's a beautiful big apartment. It's right downtown, with lots of bars, cafes and restaurants nearby.

We had a snooze, then a wander. First to eat the much anticipated pastéis de nata. They did not disappoint, but they're quite dainty, so must be eaten in twos.

We had lovely 'tapas' and a beer in the big square. It's a big city, so we have to plan our days to make the most of the tours available. It's VERY HILLY!